Game 1 • Nov. 25, 2020 • 2 pm at Houston Houston, Texas Fertitta Center TV: ESPN+ • Radio: None 2020-21 Schedule/Results Cardinals Open Daunting 2020-21 Schedule on the Road (0-0/0-0 SLC) Lamar University men’s basketball is set to return to the court to tip off the 2020-21 sea- son Wednesday when they travel to Houston, Texas to take on the No. 17/18 (AP/Coach- November es’ Top 25 Polls) Cougars. The game will serve as the season opener for both teams who 25 at Houston 2 p.m. had their 2019-20 seasons cut short due the COVID-19 pandemic. LU’s season came to 27 at Tulane 1 p.m. an end following a first-round victory at the Southland Conference tournament, while 28 vs. Lipscomb! 4 p.m. Houston was awaiting its first-round opponent in its conference tournament.The Cardi- nals are looking to improve upon a 17-15 (.531) record from last season which saw them December advance to the SLC tournament for a fourth consecutive season, and advance to the sec- 5 at Air Force TBA ond round of the tournament for the third time in the past four seasons. A youthful squad 9 at UL Monroe TBA last season, the Cardinals got hot at the end of the year winning five of the final seven 15 Southern Mississippi~ 7 p.m. games before the season was cancaled. Houston appeared poised to make a deep run in 19 at Louisiana Tech 1 p.m. the NCAA tournament a year ago with a 23-8 (.742) mark only to see the season come 22 at UTSA 6 p.m. to a premature end. Wednesday’s game will tip off at 2 p.m. from the Fertitta Center in Houston. It will be broadcast live on ESPN+, the network’s online platform. 29 Southeastern Louisiana~ 7 p.m. January LU vs. The Cougars 2 at Abilene Christian* 3 p.m Historically, the series between LU and Houston has not been kind to the Cardinals. Big 6 at Nicholls* 7 p.m. Red is 3-24 (.111) all-time against Houston, including an 0-16 all-time record in Hous- ton. The Cougars have won five of the past six meetings, with the lone LU win during 9 Houston Baptist*~ 2 p.m. that stretch coming during the 1994-95 season (64-58 in Beaumont). Wednesday’s game 13 at Sam Houston State* 6:30 p.m. marks the second meeting between the two schools in the past three seasons. Prior to 16 A&M-Corpus Christi*~ 4:30 p.m. that the two had not met on the court since the 2004-05 season. 20 UIW*~ 7 p.m. 23 at Stephen F. Austin* TBA LU in Season Openers 30 McNeese*~ 4:30 p.m. The Cardinals are 50-19 (.724) all-time in season openers, and head to Houston looking for their sixth consecutive season-opening victory. The last time LU suffered a sea- February son-opening loss came back during the 2014-15 season at SMU. The 2020-21 season 6 Abilene Christian*~ 4:30 p.m. 10 Nicholls*~ 7 p.m. Lamar University Probable Starters 13 at Houston Baptist* 7 p.m. No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl.-Exp. Hometown PPG RPG Other 3 Ellis Jefferson G 6-0 180 Sr.-1L San Antonio, Texas 5.4 1.9 1.7 spg 17 Sam Houston State*~ 7 p.m. 13 Davion Buster G 5-10 150 Jr.-2L Austin, Texas 14.6 2.7 2.4 apg 20 at A&M-Corpus Christi*~ 3:30 p.m. 11 Anderson Kopp G 6-6 205 So.-1L Houston, Texas 10.6 3.7 1.5 apg 24 at UIW* 7 p.m. 5 Avery Sullivan F/C 6-8 220 Sr.-3L Pflugerville, Texas 12.3 8.2 1.0 bpg 0 David Muoka C 6-10 210 So.-1L Hong Kong 3.2 4.5 1.8 bpg 27 Stephen F. Austin*~ 4:30 p.m. Off the Bench March No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl.-Exp. Hometown PPG RPG Other 1 Quinlan Bennett G 6-3 205 Jr.-TR Chicago, Ill. 6 at McNeese*~ TBA 2 Tarig Eisa F 6-8 210 Jr.-TR Toronto, Ont. --- --- --- 10-14 SLC Championships TBD 4 Kasen Harrison G 6-1 190 Fr.-HS Beaumont, Texas --- --- --- 10 Dylan Morrison F 6-7 180 Jr.-TR Brampton, Canada 1.1 1.1 0.9 bpg Home Games in Bold *SLC Game ~ESPN3/+ 14 Corey Nickerson F 6-7 190 So.-1L Houston, Texas 2.5 2.2 0.7 bpg $SLC Championships 15 Lincoln Smith F 6-5 210 Jr.-JR Columbus, Ga. --- --- --- 21 Ayaan Sohail G 6-3 185 So.-1L El Paso, Texas 3.5 0.9 0.3 spg 23 Mason Senigaur F 6-6 200 Jr.-TR Beaumont, Texas --- --- --- 25 Anthony Cameron F 6-8 270 Jr.-TR Chicago, Ill. 1.0 0.8 0.1 apg Lamar University Basketball Game Notes General marks the first time since 2017-18 that LU has opened the year School ................................................................Lamar University on the road (at Tulsa). That season the Cardinals recorded a 74- Location ................................................................. Beaumont, TX 67 victory over the Golden Hurricane. Founded..................................................................................1923 Enrollment ...........................................................................15,460 Defending the Nest Nicknames .......................................................................Cardinals LU has made the Montagne Center one of the toughest venues Colors ........................................................................Red & White for opponents to play over the course of its 30-plus year history. Conference .....................................................................Southland The Cards are 349-168 (.675) all-time in the Montagne Center. National Affiliation ............................................NCAA Division I LU recorded a program-best 15 home wins in the 1987-88 sea- President ......................................................Dr. Kenneth R. Evans son and was 10-5 (.667) at home last season. Director of Athletics ....................................................Marco Born Faculty Representative ........................................Dr. Robert Spina Preseason All-Southland Conference Sr. Woman Administrator ...........................................Helene Thill Junior guard Davion Buster enters the 2020-21 season as a Athletics Department ............................................(409) 880-2248 Preseason Second-Team All-Southland Conference selection. Ticket Office ..........................................................(409) 880-1715 The Austin native is coming off a sophomore campaign that saw Coaching Staff him rank 13th in the league averaging nearly 15 points per game Head Coach ......................................Tic Price (Virginia Tech, 1979) (14.6 ppg), while knocking down 95 three-pointers. Record at Lamar/Seasons ................................. 102-95/Fifth Season Record at NCAA Division I ............................269-217/14th Season Preseason Poll Office Phone ................................................................(409) 880-8301 Assistant Coach ...........................................................David Dumars LU enters the new year picked fifth in the Southland Conference Assistant Coach .................................................... Brandon Chappell preseason poll. The Cardinals received 199 points and three Assistant Coach .............................................................Joey Cantafio first place votes. LU was one of five different league schools to Athletic Trainer ..........................................................Grace Harkness receive a first-place vote. Team Information Returning Production 2019-20 Overall Record ..............................................................17-15 The Cardinals lost only two seniors from last year’s squad, but 2019-20 SLC Record/Finish .............................................10-10/T6th they were heavy losses. Despite only having two seniors in 2019-20 Home Record ..................................................................10-5 2019-20, the Cardinals return 62.6 perent (1,448 points) of their 2019-20 Away Record ...................................................................6-10 scoring and 60.7 percent (691 rebounds) of their rebounds from 2019-20 Neutral Record .................................................................1-0 last year’s team. Starters Returning/Lost ..................................................................3/2 Letterwinners Returning/Lost .......................................................8/3 History Winning Seasons The Cardinals enter 2020-21 looking for their fifth consecutive First Year of Basketball........................................................... 1951-52 winning season after posting 19, 19, 20 and 17-win campaigns. First Year as a Senior College ...................................................... 1951 It is the longest run of success for the Red and White since the First Year of Southland Basketball ....................................... 1963-64 1982-83 through 1985-86 seasons - which was part of nine con- All-Time Record .................................................................. 1,023-910 secutive seasons that saw the Cardinals post above. 500 records All-Time Southland Record ..............................324-287/45 Seasons (1977-78 through 1985-86). SLC Regular-Season Titles/Last ...............................................9/2008 SLC Tournament Titles/Last ....................................................4/2012 NCAA Appearances (Division I)/Last ....................................6/2012 The Cardinal Rule Arena Information LU has been one of the Southland’s more dominant teams. The Cards have won 53 percent of their SLC games and has the most Facility ......................................................................Montagne Center NCAA tournament appearances of any current league school (6), Year Opened .................................................................................. 1984 and their five NIT berths are also tops in the league. LU has had Record Stadium ...................................................................... 349-168 81 players earn All-Southland, including 32